Physician&#39;s in-and-out register for hospitals



July 20, 1943. w. M. JUNE 2,324,934

PHYSICIANS lN-AND-OUT REGISTER FOR HOSPITALS Filed sept. so, 1941 LIT 1N VENTOR.

TTDRNEYS.

Patented July 20, 1943 leiivs'liliws 'IN-ND-OUTREGIISTEROR L vinosr'rrAL's v I Willia'miJuna Syracuse, N. n v Y Apsiieationsepteniber 30,1941, seriaino'nlaoss a s-ciaiiifs. (curls-135) This invention relates generally :to indicator racks comprising indicators shiftable froma normal position and in which theygive'one l class of information, as' the absence l of a kperson-from I"che place, to another position, wherein they denote the presence or attendancey ofthe person,

andhasfor its object a rack,particularly for expeditingor simplifyinghospital service withv res pect Ato physicians, who are in regular or `frequent attendance at Ythe lhospital, to indicate whether or not the physician-is at the-hospital,

and particularly an indicator readable from both sides thereof and arranged to be'located, so as tobe within the range of vis-ion of a clerk, as-a telephone operator, and persons outside the telephone operators room. y

It further has for its object means for receiving messages coming in to the physicians.

Other objects appear throughout the specification. f

The invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing in which like characters designate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevation of a panel l or frame embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view on line 2 2, Figure 1.

Figures 3 and 4 are sectional views taken respectively on lines 3 3 and 4 4, Figure 2.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view on line 5 5, Figure 1.

l designates a frame or panel which may be suitably mounted in an opening, as a window opening, so that the indicia are readable from opposite sides thereof. The frame is provided with suitable transverse guides Yfor indicator slides, these guides being shown as transversely extending spaced apart tracks or rails 2.

3 designates the slides movable along two adjacent parallel rails. Each rail is common to two slides. The slides are shiftable horizontally from a normal out position in one side portion or half of the frame along the guides to in position in the other side portion or half, and when in their normal position, have a diierent visual eiTect than when in the other position. Each slide is provided with the same indicia on opposite sides thereof. As this indicator rack is here shown as adapted to hospital service, as an in-and-out register for physicians, each slidefh'as of. .The vportion or half lof the fraine in which theyslide is `normally arranged, that is, when a physician is out or vis not in attendance at the hospital, is shown here as covered on opposite sides thereof with glasspanes 4. These may be colored or` slightly translucent. Also, each slide is provided with a means as a transversepassage extendingmthrough the front to the rear sides thereof for .receiving messages for the physician and transcribedby the clerk ortelephone operator. AAs here shown, these .passages-5 are tubular, the tubes extendingrthrough thefront and rear sides of the'slide and serving as a handle or knob for facilitating the shifting. of the slide. The tube is normally located outside of the portion orcompartrnent covered by the glass panes. A150, pockets, as 6, are provided along one lateral edge of the frame opposite each slide for receiving other messages, notes, letters, etc. left with the clerk. The passages 5 are intended primarily for messages received and transcribed by the'telephone operator, the pockets 6 for receiving messages, notes, etc., which vmay be delivered for the physician at the hospital,

Each slide may control an electric circuit with a tell-tale light signal or indicator or recording apparatus connected therein. 8 designates the wires of such a circuit; 9 a normally open switch for each circuit, there being one switch and circuit for each slide. 'I'he switches are mounted in the frame at like ends of each guide. The switches f are operated by a push rod I0 on each slide and the name of a physician on opposite sides therearranged to coact with the switch operating member or button Il to close the switch when the slide is shifted from its normal out position out of the compartment with the glass panes 4 to in position or compartment in which the slides are located, when the physician is in attendance. The slides are usually formed with white letters on a black background, in order that the name of the physician may be readable through the glass panes 4, although in the drawing, the physicians names are shown in black on a white background.

In operation, the slides are normally in the out compartment behind the glass panes 4. When a physician comes to the hospital, he shifts his slide out of the out compartment into the in compartment, and as the physicians name appears on opposite sides of the slide, it is'apparent to anyone on either side of the frame, whether ror not the physician is or is not in attendance.

When a telephone message is received for ythe telephone operator or other clerk receiving the message, makes a note of it and places the note in the hollow handle or passage 5 of the slide for the particular physician, so that when he is leaving or arriving at the hospital, he can readily see it. Any messages in the form of letters received are placed in the compartment 6. When the physician leaves the hospital, he shifts his slide from the in compartment back into the out compartment.

Oftentimes, a signal indicating whether a physician is in attendance or out is given in some other part of the hospital or an in and out registration made of the physician. When either of these systems is used, the electric circuit closing the signal indicator or recording circuits are automatically operated when the physician shifts his slide into in or ou position.

This rack or panel is particularly advantageous as it can be readily installed as a panel in a window opening or in any other situation, and also in that the indications are clear to persons on the opposite sides of the frame or panel, and further in that any messages yfor the physicians can be immediately delivered to or he will see them when checking in or out What I claim is:

l. An indicator rack for the purpose set forth comprising a frame open at one side, substantially one half of the frame being an in col umn and the other half an out column, transverse guides in the frame, indicator slides mounted to move along the guides from one column into the other, the out column having a translucent covering through which the indicator slides are readable giving a different visual effect to the slides from that given when the indicator slides are shifted to the out column.

2. An indicator rack for the purpose set forth comprising a fra-me, substantially one half of the frame being an in column and the other half an out column, transverse guides in the frame, indicator slides mounted to move along the guides from the in column into the out column and vice versa, the slides being visible from the front and rear sides of the frame, one column having translucent coverings on the front and rear sides thereof through which the Vindicator slides are readable from the front and the rear sides of the frame and which give a diiferent visual effect when in one column from that given in the other column.

3. An indicator rack for the purpose set forth comprising a frame, substantially one half of the frame being an in column and the other half an out column, transverse guides in the frame, indicator slides mounted to move along the guides from the in column into the out columnand vice vversa, the slides being visible from the front and rear sides of the frame, one column 'having translucent coverings on the front and rear sides thereof through which the indicator slides are readable from the front and the rear sides of the frame and which give a olif ferent visual effect when in one column from that given in the other column, each slide having a combined operating and message element carrier handle formed With a passage therethrough forreceiving a message element and permitting the message element to project out of the passage beyond the end of the handle, whereby the operator, when taking hold of the handle to shift a slide, comes in contact with the message element. Y

WILLIAM M. JUNE. 

